Paying for Fire Safety Improvements Q: In the absence of relevant provisions in the lease, does the management board have any legal authority to compel leaseholders to accept (and pay for) fire safety improvements in the apartments, for example, intumescent seals and self-closing hinges being added to front doors? Another example is the installation of …
Replacement of Cladding post Grenfell Q: We have scheduled external redecoration in 2019, and we are given to believe that it is proposed to replace the cladding. In spring this year our residents’ association put in writing our objection to the proposed Intention to carry out works on the cladding as the earlier findings of the Fire Service stated the cladding does not …
Training for the Role Q: We have just upgraded the fire alarm systems to four separate blocks on our site including heat detectors within each flat. (37 in total). As part of the refurbishment we decided to upgrade our Fire Risk Assessment documentation by appointing an independent fire safety person and I’ve just received the …
Q: I have a question about certain costs which have been passed to our service charge by our freeholder. Our development opened in 2013. Every 12 months since then a fire safety review has been performed by a private company. As a result of these assessments a number of recommendations have been made due to …
Q: The common hallway lighting circuits at our block recently failed an ‘electrical condition report’ due to the absence of an earth wire in the cabling. The block was built in 1965 and the wiring conforms to the standards in force at that date, The lighting cables pass current electrical insulation tests and during the last …
Q: We would be grateful for guidance on how frequently we should be testing our communal fire alarms (smoke detectors). The development comprises 11 blocks of flats ranging in size from three to 16 flats in four-storey buildings (including the ground floor). There are 117 flats in total and all communal areas have smoke alarms …
Q: I have a question about certain costs which have been passed to our service charge by our freeholder. Our development opened in 2013. Every 12 months since then a fire safety review has been performed by a private company. As a result of these assessments a number of recommendations have been made due to …
Q: In my two-storey Edwardian mansion block of 12 flats, four flats lead off each of three communal hallways from three separate main front doors. Each flat has an exit through the common hallways to the front and an immediate rear exit into the gardens at the back. The upstairs flats have rear exits down …
Q: Our block of 8 flats was built in 1968 and as in many older blocks I am sure there are now discrepancies in which flat has updated their consumer units/fuse boxes and who hasn’t! In the light of the Grenfell disaster where (I believe) one appliance from one flat caused the destruction of the …
Q: Who is responsible for the maintenance of the smoke alarms in each flat? We fully accept responsibility for the smoke alarms in the communal areas. Each flat has an individual meter box on the outside wall, the management company paints the outside of the boxes, but when broken who should stand the cost of …